This invention relates to interconnectable electrical connector and plug assemblies and, more particularly, to such assemblies which are visually keyed for mating compatibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,330 to Fulponi et al, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a shielded stacked circular DIN electrical connector assembly wherein upper and lower connector housings are stacked and enclosed within a metal shield which only exposes the mating faces of the connector housings. With such an assembly, it is possible that the upper and lower connectors have different configurations and numbers of terminals so that an electrical plug assembly which mates with one of the connectors will not mate with the other connector. Such stacking is typically appropriate for mini DIN connectors because of their small size. Because of this small size, the exposed electrical contacts extending out of the mating face of a mating plug assembly are fragile. Accordingly, if a user attempts to mate a mismatched plug and connector, damage can result. It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an arrangement which minimizes the likelihood of the user attempting to mate mismatched components.